Lanka's first monorail in H'tota

Shirajiv SIRIMANE

South Asia's first monorail track will be built in Hambantota linking
the new Hambantota Airport and the Suriyawewa International cricket
stadium. The project is expected to get off the ground next year.
Hambantota district Parliamentarain Namal Rajapaksa told Daily News that
this would be a three kilometre stretch and they are currently talking
to several investors in this regard.

He said that one of the main aims of this proposed rail track is that
it would link key development projects that are already taking place in
the City of Hambantota.

"One would be the proposed IT park where over 1.500 would be directly
employed and the proposed convention centre, Airport, a 3,000 room
apartment complex and several key investment projects," he said.

Since this is a very expensive project the monorail track is expected
to be constructed on a build and operate basis where both the investment
and maintenance costs would be less expensive to the country.

He also disclosed plans to construct a night market for Hambantota,
which would open at 9 p.m. and go on till around 4 a.m. Rajapaksa also
said that the Colombo-Marata Highway would be completed by 2013. "This
would be extended to Hambantota by 2016 and the railway line too would
be extended to Hambantota," he said.